From Evolution to Destruction
Confocal images of cancer cells with nanoparticles carrying DNA inside the cells, courtesy the Purdue Cancer Center.
It has been more than 30 years since President Richard Nixon declared war on cancer, calling for a level of national commitment equal to what went into landing a man on the moon or splitting the atom. And there is no cure yet. Cancer remains America’s number two killer, touching millions of people each year.
Fortunately, advances in science are giving scientists and researchers reason to be optimistic about our odds in the continuing fight against cancer. Years of research have helped build a strong base of knowledge about cancer and how it behaves, allowing for further studies on the subject to bring researchers closer and closer to a cure. In fact, Purdue researchers are tackling the enormous task of finding ways to beat this microscopic killer, and some of their discoveries in the field of cancer research have garnered national attention.
New structural biology building will add to Purdue’s
cancer-fighting arsenal
Chemistry alumnus Pete Kay and his wife Sally have one purpose in mind: to help the effort to find better ways to diagnose and treat cancer. “We are longtime supporters of the Purdue Cancer Center,” says Pete. “We want to be part of the fight against cancer, and the research coming out of Purdue is very exciting.”
Pete and Sally are particularly enthusiastic about the groundbreaking work coming from Purdue’s structural biology group. Purdue structural biologists are applying nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and computational methods to the study of cell signaling and the transport of chemical information from outside the cell that governs cell growth and development.
“The enzymes being studied now are of high interest for cancer therapeutics,” Pete says. “I believe this particular area of structural biology research can lead to breakthroughs in cancer treatment.”There are logical and strong ties between structural biology and the Cancer Center, Sally says. “Sixteen structural biology faculty are members of the Cancer Center. To support their work is to support the Cancer Center, and vice versa!”
Pete and Sally are leaders in the drive to construct the Wayne T. and Mary T. Hockmeyer Hall of Structural Biology, which will provide a new, state-of-the-art home to this world-renowned group. “We believe that utilizing the power of Purdue’s structural biology group can accelerate the development of new diagnostics and therapeutics for use in the fight against cancer,” Pete says.
Sally and Pete state that “Purdue is uniquely positioned to be a leader in the fight against cancer with the Cancer Center, the new Oncological Sciences Center, the new Biomedical Engineering building, and the interdisciplinary approach to problem solving being fostered by Discovery Park. Adding the Hockmeyer Hall of Structural Biology to this arsenal will further strengthen Purdue’s leadership role in cancer research.”
“The new knowledge coming from structural biology is critical to the fight against cancer,” says Sally. “A new facility for the structural biology group is absolutely essential. We think the project is a winner, and we hope College of Science alumni will pitch in to help Purdue finish it."
The ABCs of cancer
Conquering cancer begins at the most basic level — understanding the processes that make a cancer cell act like a cancer cell in the first place. Structural biologist Jue Chen studies ABC proteins (ATP-binding-cassette), which bring nutrients into and pump toxins out of cells. “Many cancer cells are resistant to anticancer drugs because the ABC proteins are overabundant and get too good at pumping the drugs out before they can work,” she says. “Future therapies might exploit what we are finding out about these proteins’ operation. It’s too soon to talk about specific therapies, but because there are so many kinds of cancer out there, every piece of knowledge helps.”Biology professor Cynthia Stauffacher studies the growth of normal and abnormal cells and the treatment of disease states, with a special emphasis on cancer. “By understanding the workings of molecular targets for chemotherapy down at the very structural level, we can provide the chemical framework for designing new inhibitors that can lead to the development of new drugs,” Stauffacher says. “This very basic research is the foundation for advances in combating cancer.”
Sometimes, help comes from somewhere you’d never expect. David Sanders, associate professor of biological sciences, says that while viruses are often looked upon as harmful, their ability to introduce genes into cells gives them great potential as delivery vehicles for therapeutic genes. He led a team that used a modified virus to deliver genes to liver and brain cells in mice. By placing helpful genetic material within the outer protein shell of the Ross River Virus, Sanders' team was able to alter the mice's liver cells without producing the harmful side effects of other modified retroviruses.
“This represents a major advance in that we have used retroviruses for gene therapy in living mice,” Sanders says. “It brings us a big step closer to treating human diseases.”
Sanders emphasizes that, while the work is a leap forward for gene therapy, it will be several years before his technique is ready for human testing.
“We have found a great stepping stone, but there’s still a lot to be done,” he says. “It should encourage other researchers to search for alternative virus shells for gene delivery.”
Jeff Bolin, professor of biological sciences, associate dean for research, and another member of the structural biology group, takes another approach in the fight against cancer. His study of a bacterial pathway that breaks down PCBs could lead to the biological treatment of PCBs and other man-made toxins and pollutants.
“These notorious, man-made chemicals have the potential to promote cancer. They also contaminate the soils, rivers, and lakes of Indiana and other manufacturing states, as well as many other locations throughout the world,” says Bolin. “By analyzing the structure and function of enzymes that can partially degrade PCBs, we contribute to an international effort to develop a safe process that can be used to eliminate PCBs from storage sites and the environment.”